title: [Retrospective evaluation of the patients with chronic pain admitted to the algology polyclinic between 2000-2010].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the patients who admitted to algology polyclinic with malign and non-malign pain, sociodemographic characteristics, type of pain and pain management retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study we examined the medical assessement files of patients who admitted to our outpatient clinic of Algology Department for chronic pain between January 2000- December 2010. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, pain properties and treatments were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the eleven years period, a total of 6647 patients have been admitted to our clinic. 66.9% of the patients were between the ages of 19 and 64. There was no significant difference between gender. The most common causes of pain were myofascial pain, neuropathic pain, low back pain and headache. Among malignancy related cases the most common sources were gastrointenstinal system, lung and breast regions. In 83.4% of patients, pharmacological and invasive treatments were utilized. The most common invasive treatment modalities were, trigger point injection, dry needle application and epidural catheter application.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, pain treatments with multidisciplinary approach applied by the increasing number of pain clinics provide favorouble results and patients quality of life is also increased. We hope our retrospective study may provide helpful data for future studies on chronic pain with its comprehensive base of patient data which covers an eleven years period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Algology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akdeniz
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kelsaka
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Güldoğuş
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D018710:Pain Clinics; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology